System and method for content transmission network selection

ABSTRACT

A content transmission selection system is disclosed. The content transmission selection system receives requests from viewers for specific video content items. Using characteristics of the designated content item, the content transmission selection system determines whether to transmit the content item over a broadcast network or a broadband network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/215,417, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/028,153. The contents of each of theforegoing is/are hereby incorporated by reference into this applicationas if set forth herein in full.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to systems and methods for contenttransmission. More specifically, the invention relates to systems andmethods for determining whether to transmit content using a broadcastnetwork or a broadband network.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The demand for the quick and easy access to a wide variety of contentwhich may be, for example, video, data, etc., has led to the rapidgrowth of numerous transmission systems. For example, direct to home(DTH) satellite systems and cable systems have been deployed to competewith traditional broadcast networks. Similarly, broadband data networks,such as for example, digital subscriber line (DSL) networks and cablemodem data networks have been deployed to provide high speedpoint-to-point data communication. Generally, the broadcast-typenetworks are very efficient at transmitting data items, particularlyvideo, to a large number of viewers, but lack the capability to targetspecific viewers. Broadband data networks, by comparison, are very goodat transmitting content to small numbers of discrete viewers and are notas efficient at simultaneously reaching large numbers of viewers.

Thus, there are numerous content transmission systems now available thatdid not exist even a few years ago. Applicants have noted, however, thatsystems and methods have not been implemented for integrating theselective use of these different systems to leverage their respectivestrengths. More specifically, existing systems and methods lack thecapability to select the single network from a plurality of transmissionnetworks that can most efficiently transfer a content item at a giventime. Such a system or method would enable operators of transmissionnetworks to best utilize network resources, thereby lowering costs ofoperation and lowering prices for consumers.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Accordingly, systems and methods for content transmission are disclosed.In systems in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of theinvention, viewers enter requests for content items such as, forexample, videos, at their set top box. Requests contain information suchas the geographic location to which the content is to be transmitted,the time at which the viewer desires to view the content, and a pricethe viewer is willing to pay for the content.

The requests are transmitted over a broadband network, a back channel toa broadcast network, or both to a transmission network selector. Thetransmission network selector determines whether the content will betransmitted over a broadcast network or a broadband network. Thisdetermination is based on the information provided with the transmissionrequest, information about the content itself, and information about thebroadcast and broadband networks. Information about the content maycomprise, for example, the duration of the content and the requiredbandwidth for transmission of the content. Information about thebroadcast and broadband networks may comprise, for example, theavailable bandwidth on the networks, the geographic boundaries of thenetworks, and the cost of transmission at a given time of day on thenetworks.

Once a transmission network has been selected, the transmission networkselector forwards a transmission notification to the viewer indicatingthe time the requested item will be transmitted and the transmissionnetwork over which it will be transmitted. Thereafter, the content istransmitted to the viewer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood after reading thefollowing detailed description of an illustrative example thereof withreference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for network transmission selectionin accordance with an aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method for network transmission selection inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an illustrative example of the steps involvedin the step of determining at the content decision server whether totransmit over a broadcast or a broadband network;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an alternative system for networktransmission selection in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an alternative method for network transmissionselection in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computing device for use in a system inaccordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An illustrative example of a system which meets the above-mentionedobjects and provides other beneficial features will be described belowwith reference to FIGS. 1-6. Those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that the description given herein with respect to thosefigures is for explanatory purposes only and is not intended in any wayto limit the scope of the invention. Throughout the description, likereference numerals will refer to like elements in the respectivefigures.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system incorporating an illustrativetransmission network selection system in accordance with an aspect ofthe invention. At viewer location 100, viewers receive an identificationfrom broadcast content source 123 that content items such as, forexample, movies are available to the viewer upon request. When a viewerselects to view an item, the selection is transmitted either viabroadband service provider 122 and Internet 121 or via a back channel ofbroadcast network 123 to transmission network selector 120. Transmissionnetwork selector 120 automatically determines whether to transmit therequested content via broadcast network 123 or to download the contentitem over broadband source 122. Once the determination has been made,network selector 120 forwards the content item to the viewer location100 via the selected network.

As shown in FIG. 1, home or viewer location 100 contains a viewer device101 that provides a video input to television 102. Viewer device 101 canbe a set top box, a personal computer, or any electronic device capableof receiving, storing, and processing video signals. Viewer device 101comprises a broadcast receiver 101 a for receiving video from abroadcast network such as, for example, a DTH satellite network, aterrestrial wireless network, or a cable television broadcast network.Memory 101 b may be a hard disk drive (HDD) or any memory device thatenables the viewer device to store previously transmitted content,information about the content, and information about the transmission ofthe content. Processor 101 c enables the viewer device to performoperations such as displaying a list of available content items fromwhich a viewer may make a transmission request. Broadband connectiondevice 101 d provides connectivity to broadband service provider 122 andmay be, for example, a DSL modem or cable modem.

Broadband service provider 122 provides a broadband connection betweenviewer device 101 and transmission network selector 120. Broadbandservice provider 122 may be, for example, a DSL service provider, or thelike. Generally, service provider 122 receives high-speed connections131 from viewer device 101 and provides access to transmission networkselector 120 usually via Internet 121. As shown, service provider 122comprises a termination device 122 a for receiving a communicationconnection from viewer device 100. Device 122 a may be, for example, aDSL modem.

Broadcast network 123 may be, for example a DTH satellite provider.Broadcast content is transmitted from transmission network selector 120to viewer device 101 over broadcast network 123. Viewer device 101contains broadcast receiver 101 a to receive broadcast content. Data isalso transmitted from viewer device 101 to transmission network selector120 over a back channel of broadcast network 123 such as, for example, adial-up modem.

Transmission network selector 120 operates to determine whether totransmit video content to a viewer via a traditional broadcast network123 or via broadband provider 122. Transmission network selector 120comprises content information server 120 a, content decision server 120b, and content media server 120 c. Content information server 120 atransmits to viewer device 101 a list of available content items fromwhich the viewer can make a request. Content decision server 120 breceives the viewer's request for a content item, selects a network overwhich to transmit the content, and forwards a transmission notificationto viewer device 101. Finally, content media server 120 c queues andtransmits the content to the selected transmission network. If thecontent is to be transmitted over broadcast network 123, content mediaserver 120 c transmits content to broadcast content transmitter, which,in turn, transmits the content over broadcast network 123 to broadcastreceiver 101 a in viewer device 101. Alternatively, the content may betransmitted over broadband network 122 to viewer device 101.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of a method for content transmissionnetwork selection in accordance with an aspect of the invention. At step210 a list of available content items such as, for example, movies ortelevision programs is transmitted from content information server 120 ato viewer device 101. The list may be downloaded via broadcast contentsource 123 or broadband provider 122. At step 212, the list of availablecontent items is received at the viewer device. The viewer may thenreview the list of movies and select the one(s) he or she desires toview. The viewer may also indicate when he or she desires to view thevideo, the price he or she is willing to pay for the video, thegeographic location to which the video is to be sent, as well as otherinformation about the transmission request. At step 214, a request forone of the videos is transmitted from viewer device 101 to contentdecision server 120 either via broadband network 122 or via a backchannel of broadcast network 123. At step 216, the transmission requestis received at content decision server 120.

At step 218, content decision server 120 automatically determineswhether to transmit content using a broadcast network or a broadbandnetwork. This determination is based upon the characteristics of thetransmission request, the characteristics of the content to betransmitted, the characteristics of the broadcast network, thecharacteristics of the broadband network, and the nature and volume ofall other requests. The characteristics of the transmission request mayinclude, for example, the geographic location to which the content is tobe transmitted, the time at which the content is expected to be viewed,a dollar amount that the viewer is willing to pay for the content, orany other information about the transmission request that would behelpful in selecting a transmission network for the requested content.Characteristics of the content to be transmitted that may influence thenetwork selection include, for example, the size and/or duration of thecontent, the required bandwidth for transmission of the content,features to be present with the content such as, for example, fastforward, rewind, and VCR controls, the number of requests for identicalcontent from different viewers, or any other information about thecontent that would be helpful in selecting a transmission network forthe requested content. Characteristics of the broadcast network that mayinfluence the determination include, for example, the availablebandwidth on the network, the geographic boundaries of the network, thecost of transmission at a given time of day on the network, or any otherinformation about the broadcast network that would be helpful inselecting a transmission network for the requested content. Thecharacteristics of the broadband network may include the scheduled orpredicted available bandwidth on the network, the geographic boundariesof the network, the cost of transmission at a given time of day on thenetwork, or any other information about the broadband network that wouldbe helpful in selecting a transmission network for the requestedcontent.

At step 220, content is queued at content media server 120 c. Contentmedia server 120 c aggregates the content to be transmitted and formatsthe content for the selected transmission network. Formatting contentfor transmission over the selected network involves choosing a means toencapsulate the content for the selected network topology whileaddressing security as well as other factors. For example, a movie filestored in MPEG format may be packaged for DTH satellite broadcast byencapsulating the file in a DVB compliant spooler file which may then berouted through a transport multiplexor that applies real-time broadcastconditional access. Packaging for transmission over a broadband networksuch as a DSL network may include encapsulation into a TCP/IP packetstream which is encrypted and copy-protected and routed through a secureATM switch fabric to the viewer device using secure sockets. Once thecontent has been formatted, content media server 120 c transmits theresulting data stream to the appropriate transmission network. At step222, a notification of the transmission characteristics of the contentis transmitted from content decision server 120 b to viewer device 101over broadband network 122. Transmission characteristics of the contentmay include, for example, the time of transmission, the selectedtransmission network, network specific information such as the DTHtransponder frequency and polarity, stream ID's andencryption/decryption codes, or any other information helpful ornecessary for transmission. DTH transponder frequency and polarity isused to tune the DTH receiver to the correct transponder frequency.Stream ID's are used to identify which packets to extract in theselected MPEG multiplex stream. Decryption keys are used to decryptdata. Viewer device 101 utilizes the transmission characteristics toidentify which of the connected networks to monitor for the content, howto isolate the specific content on the selected network, and how toprocess any security measures.

At step 224, the content is transmitted over broadcast network 123 orbroadband network 122. Each content item may be sent directly to theviewer device, or, depending on the topology of the selected network,the content item may first be sent to a staging server. At step 226,viewer device 101 receives the content. If the content is beingbroadcast, viewer device 101 will tune to the appropriate broadcastchannel or DTH transponder frequency. If the content is beingtransmitted over a broadband network, the viewer device will downloadthe content through broadband connection device 101 d.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an illustrative example of a process fordetermining whether to transmit data over a broadcast or a broadbandnetwork. At step 310, content decision server 120 b gathers input datacomprising the characteristics of the transmission request, thecharacteristics of the content to be transmitted, and thecharacteristics of the broadcast network and broadband networks. Forexample, characteristics of the transmission request may include thetime (T) that the content is requested to be viewed. Characteristics ofthe content to be transmitted may include the number of requests for thecontent (N), the size of the content in megabites (S), and the minimumtransfer rate for the content (R). Characteristics of the broadbandnetwork may include the cost of transport per megabite on the broadbandnetwork (bbC) and the estimated cost of transport on the broadbandnetwork (bbEC). The estimated cost of transport on the broadband networkis equal to the product of the size of the content in megabites and thecost of transport per megabite on the broadband network (bbEC=S*bbC).Finally, characteristics of the broadcast network may include the costof transport per megabite on the broadcast network (bcC), the availablebandwidth on the broadcast network (bcBW), and the estimated cost oftransport on the broadcast network (bcEC). The estimated cost oftransport on the broadcast network is equal to the product of the sizeof the content in megabites and the cost of transport per megabite onthe broadcast network (bcEC=S*bcC).

At step 312, content decision server 120 b determines whether theavailable bandwidth on the broadcast network (bcBW) is less than theminimum transfer rate for the content (R). If the available bandwidth onthe broadcast network (bcBW) is less than the minimum transfer rate forthe content (R), which indicates that there is not enough availablebandwidth on the broadcast network, then at step 314 content decisionserver 120 b determines that content will be transmitted over thebroadband network. If the available bandwidth on the broadcast network(bcBW) is not less than the minimum transfer rate for the content (R),then at step 316 content decision server determines whether theestimated cost of transport on the broadband network (bbEC) is less thanthe estimated cost of transport on the broadcast network (bcEC). If theestimated cost of transport on the broadband network (bbEC) is less thanthe estimated cost of transport on the broadcast network (bcEC), then atstep 314 content decision server 120 b determines that content will betransmitted over a broadband network. If the estimated cost of transporton the broadband network (bbEC) is not less than the estimated cost oftransport on the broadcast network (bcEC), then at step 318 contentdecision server 120 b determines that content will be transmitted over abroadcast network.

The process described above in connection with FIG. 3 is forillustrative purposes and may be expanded to incorporate other variablessuch as, for example, the time (T) that content is desired to be viewed.If the viewer does not require the content to be viewed immediately,then the transmission of the content may be scheduled for the time atwhich the cost of transmission is lowest. For example, the viewer mayrequest delivery for the next day, which would enable delivery at nightwhen transmission costs are likely to be low. Similarly, a “tricklestream”, i.e. transmitting data at a slow speed over a long period oftime, may also be employed to preserve available bandwidth on a givennetwork.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that content information server220 a, content decision server 220 b, content media server 220 c, andviewer device 101 may comprise an appropriately programmed computingdevice. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a generic computing system suitablefor use in a system in accordance with the present invention. As shown,computing device 420 includes processing unit 422, system memory 424,and system bus 426 that couples various system components includingsystem memory 424 to the processing unit 422. The system memory 424might include read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM). Thesystem might further include hard-drive 428, which provides storage forcomputer readable instructions, data structures, program modules andother data. A viewer may enter commands and information into thecomputer 420 through input devices such as a keyboard 440 and pointingdevice 442 which may be, for example, a mouse or remote control. Amonitor 444 or other type of display device is also connected to thesystem for output. Communications device 443, which in one embodimentmay be a modem, provides for communications over a network such as, forexample, broadband network 131 and the Internet 121. Processor 422 canbe programmed with instructions to interact with other computing systemsso as to perform the algorithms described above with reference to FIGS.2 and 3. The instructions may be received from networks 121 and 131 orstored in memory 424 and/or hard drive 428. Processor 422 may be loadedwith any one of several computer operating systems such as Windows NT,Windows 2000, or Linux.

A block diagram of an alternative system for network transmissionselection in accordance with an aspect of the invention is shown in FIG.4. In the alternative system of FIG. 4, content may be transmitted toone or more available devices 401 a-e. Available devices 401 a-e may beany devices that are capable of content playback such as, for example,televisions, set top boxes, receivers, portable media players, anddesktop or notebook personal computers. Available devices 401 a-e may bestationary or portable devices. Available devices 401 a-e may receivecontent over a cable and/or wired connection or a wireless connection.Available devices 401 a-e may be located in user location 100 or may belocated at any number of remote locations.

Available devices 401 a and 401 b are connected to only broadbandnetwork 122 and not broadcast network 123. Available devices 401 d and401 e are connected to only broadcast network 123 and not broadbandnetwork 122. Available device 401 c is connected to both broadbandnetwork 122 and broadcast network 123. As should be appreciated, despitethe exemplary configuration of available devices 401 a-e in FIG. 4, thissystem may include any number of available devices, and any number ofthese available devices may be connected to only broadband network 122,only broadcast network 123, both broadcast network 123 and broadcastnetwork 123, and also any number of additional networks such as, forexample, local area networks.

A list of available devices 401 a-e associated with a particular useraccount may be stored in an account profile. The account profile may bestored at the requesting device or in any other device and/or memorythat is accessible to the requesting device and/or transmission networkselector 120. In addition to listing available devices 401 a-e, theaccount profile may list one or more corresponding networks to whicheach available device is connected. The account profile may also includerouting information for each of the available devices 401 a-e.

A transmission request may be submitted from a requesting device tocontent decision server 120 b. The transmission request may specify oneor more of available devices 401 a-e to be receiving devices to whichthe requested content is to be transmitted. The transmission request mayalso specify any number of other request characteristics such as thosewhich have been described above. The requesting device may be any ofavailable devices 401 a-c that are connected to broadband network 122 oranother device that is connected to broadband network 122. Therequesting device need not necessarily be at the same location as any ofthe specified receiving devices.

Upon receiving the transmission request from the requesting device,content decision server 120 b may determine over which network totransmit the requested content. This determination may be based, atleast in part, on whether each receiving device is connected to onlybroadband network 122, only broadcast network 123, or both broadcastnetwork 123 and broadcast network 123. An exemplary method for makingthis determination for each receiving device is depicted in FIG. 5. Atstep 510, it is determined whether the receiving device is broadcastonly, meaning that it is connected to broadcast network 123 and notbroadband network 122. If so, then, at step 512, the content istransmitted to the receiving device over broadcast network 123. If not,then, at step 514, it is determined whether the receiving device isbroadband only, meaning that it is connected to broadband network 122and not broadcast network 123. The determinations at steps 510 and 514may be made by, for example, looking up the corresponding connectednetworks for the receiving device from the account profile. If thereceiving device is broadband only, then, at step 516, the content istransmitted to the receiving device over broadband network 122. If not,then it may be concluded that the receiving device is connected to bothbroadcast network 123 and broadband network 122. In this case, at step518, the transmission selection may be made based on additional factors.These additional factors may include the characteristics that weredescribed above with reference to step 218 of FIG. 2 such as, forexample, the characteristics of the transmission request, thecharacteristics of the content to be transmitted, the characteristics ofthe broadcast network, the characteristics of the broadband network, andthe nature and volume of all other requests. At step 520, a transmissionnotification may be sent to the requesting device and/or the receivingdevice. The transmission notification may include, for example, anidentification of the transmission network and/or the time oftransmission.

Those skilled in the art understand that computer readable instructionsfor implementing the above described processes, such as those describedwith reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, can be generated and stored on oneof a plurality of computer readable media such as a magnetic disk orCD-ROM. Further, a computer such as that described with reference toFIG. 6 may be arranged with other similarly equipped computers in anetwork, and each computer may be loaded with computer readableinstructions for performing the above described processes. Specifically,referring to FIG. 6, microprocessor 422 may be programmed to operate inaccordance with the above-described processes.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference tospecific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize thatmodification and variations may be made without departing from theprinciples of the invention as described above and set forth in thefollowing claims. For example, while the invention has been described asbeing used to determine whether to transmit content over a DSL networkor a DTH satellite network, the invention might also be used todetermine whether to transmit content over any broadband network suchas, for example, a cable system or any broadcast network such as, forexample, a wireless network using modulated frequency signals.Furthermore, the list of available content items, the viewer's contenttransmission request, and the transmission notification may betransmitted between the transmission network selector and the viewerdevice using any broadband network. Accordingly, reference should bemade to the appended claims as indicating the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a systemcomprising a processor, a request for viewing video content at a mediaprocessor device; determining, by the system, a number of requests forthe video content from a plurality of media processor devices;determining, by the system, whether the plurality of media processordevices are communicatively coupled to both a broadband network and abroadcast network according to a plurality of account profiles that areassociated with the plurality of media processor devices; identifying,by the system, playback command features available with the videocontent responsive to the plurality of media processor devices beingcommunicatively coupled to both the broadcast network and the broadbandnetwork; selecting, by the system, a transmit network as one of thebroadcast network or the broadband network according to the playbackcommand features and the number of requests; and transmitting, by thesystem, the video content to the media processor device according to thetransmit network that is selected.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thestep of selecting, by the system, the transmit network is furtherperformed according to whether the media processor device iscommunicatively coupled to the broadcast network or the broadbandnetwork responsive to the plurality of media processor devices beingcommunicatively coupled to the broadcast network or the broadbandnetwork but not both.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the playbackcommand features comprise one of a fast forward control, a rewindcontrol, a pause control, a video recorder control, or any combinationthereof.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising formatting, by thesystem, the video content for transmission according to the transmitnetwork that is selected.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the videocontent is encapsulated in a spooler file and routed through a transportmultiplexer for transmission via the broadcast network.
 6. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the video content is encapsulated in a TCP/IP packetstream and routed through a switch fabric for transmission via thebroadband network.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprisingtransmitting, by the system, a notification of transmissioncharacteristics to the media processor device according to the transmitnetwork that is selected.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein thetransmission characteristics comprise one of a time of transmission,transponder characteristics, stream characteristics, or any combinationthereof.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the media processor deviceperforms monitoring for the video content according to the transmissioncharacteristics.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:maintaining, by the system, the account profiles, wherein the accountprofiles comprise routing information for the plurality of mediaprocessor devices.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprisingreceiving, by the system, a number representing an amount of money bidfor viewing the video content, wherein the step of selecting, by thesystem, the transmit network is further performed according to theamount of money bid.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the request isnot received from the media processor device.
 13. The method of claim 1,further comprising estimating a cost of transport for one of thebroadcast network, the broadband network, or any combination thereof,wherein the step of selecting, by the system, the transmit network isfurther performed according to the cost that is estimated.
 14. A device,comprising: a memory to store executable instructions; and a processorcoupled to the memory, wherein the executable instructions, whenexecuted by the processor, facilitate performance of operationscomprising: receiving a list of available content items from a mediaprovider; receiving a selection of media content from the list;transmitting the selection to the media provider, wherein the mediaprovider determines a number of requests for the selection from aplurality of media processor devices, wherein the media providerdetermines a playback command feature for the selection, wherein themedia provider determines whether the device is communicatively coupledto both a broadband network and a broadcast network according to anaccount profile that is associated with the device, and wherein themedia provider selects a transmit network as one of the broadbandnetwork or the broadcast network for delivery of the selection of mediacontent according to the number of requests and the playback commandcharacteristic responsive to the device being communicatively coupled toboth the broadband network and the broadcast network; receiving theselection from the media provider via the transmit network; andpresenting the selection at a display device.
 15. The device of claim14, wherein the playback command feature comprises one of a fast forwardcontrol, a rewind control, a pause control, a video recorder control, orany combination thereof.
 16. The device of claim 14, wherein the mediaprovider further selects the transmit network according to whether thedevice is communicatively coupled to one of the broadband network or thebroadcast network but not both.
 17. A machine-readable storage device,comprising executable instructions which when executed by a processor ata media device to facilitate operations comprising: receiving aselection of media content from a list of available content;transmitting the selection to a media provider, wherein the mediaprovider determines whether the media device is communicatively coupledto both a broadband network and a broadcast network, wherein the mediaprovider selects a transmit network for delivery of the selection ofmedia content according to a number of requests received at the mediaprovider for the media content and according to a playback commandfeature that is available for the media content responsive to the mediadevice being communicatively coupled to both the broadband network andthe broadcast network; and receiving the selection from the mediaprovider for presentation at a display device of the media device. 18.The machine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the mediaprovider determines the number of requests for the selection from aplurality of media processor devices and wherein the media providerdetermines a playback command characteristic for the selection.
 19. Themachine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the playbackcommand feature comprises one of a fast forward control, a rewindcontrol, a pause control, a video recorder control, or any combinationthereof.